The Netherlands: Dutch grid operator Alliander intends to award Siemens Energy a framework agreement for five 72.5 kV Blue GIS installations for new substations.
The five substations are scheduled to be commissioned after 1 January 2028. The sites were selected before the European F-gas Regulation entered into force and were dimensioned for SF₆-based switchgear. As they cannot be expanded, the replacement technology must fit within the available space.
Technical requirements include a nominal busbar current of 3,150 A and a short-circuit withstand rating of 40 kA for three seconds.
Under the F-gas Regulation, Alliander will in principle no longer be permitted to commission SF₆-containing installations at voltage levels from 52 kV up to and including 145 kV after 1 January 2028.
For insulation and interruption, Alliander requires gas mixtures with a global warming potential of 1 or lower, or vacuum technology. SF₆ and PFAS-containing gases are excluded.
The utility cites environmental protection, personnel safety, standardisation and uncertainty over long-term availability among the reasons for excluding PFAS-containing gases.
Source: Publications Office of the European Union
